Article
Psychology, Clinical
Katherine Parkin, Shanquan Chen, Marjan Biria, James Plaistow, Helen Beckwith, Isaac Jarratt-Barnham, Nuria Segarra, Yulia Worbe, Naomi A. Fineberg, Rudolf N. Cardinal, Trevor W. Robbins, Emilio Fernandez-Egea
Summary: Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) commonly occur in patients treated with clozapine and can significantly affect subjective wellbeing. This study found that OCS severity had a negative impact on wellbeing scores, independent of depressive and psychotic symptoms. However, OCS did not impair general functioning. Obsessional thinking and hoarding behavior, rather than compulsions, were specifically associated with decreased wellbeing, possibly due to the nature of the compulsions.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Hollie A. L. Burton, Luise Pickenhan, Claire Carson, Paul Salkovskis, Fiona Alderdice
Summary: This review synthesized evidence on the experiences of maternity care and mental health care for women with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) during pregnancy and postpartum. The findings revealed three descriptive themes: experiences of barriers to treatment and care, experiences of treatment/care decision making, and experiences of treatment and care. Three analytic themes were also identified, which demonstrated tensions in balancing the health and safety of the baby and the mother, as well as the perception of a normal perinatal experience. The review highlighted significant gaps in the literature, particularly regarding maternity and pharmacological care experiences. Balancing these tensions is crucial to ensure that women with OCD receive the necessary care.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Liliana Dell'Osso, Benedetta Nardi, Chiara Bonelli, Davide Gravina, Francesca Benedetti, Luca Del Prete, Gabriele Massimetti, Giulia Amatori, Barbara Carpita, Ivan Mirko Cremone
Summary: Recent research emphasizes the importance of a dimensional perspective on mental disorders, particularly the conceptualization of an obsessive-compulsive spectrum. The current study aims to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum-Short Version (OBS-SV) questionnaire. The results demonstrate strong reliability and validity of the OBS-SV, showing significant correlations with other measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Prerika Sharma, Maria C. Rosario, Ygor A. Ferrao, Lucy Albertella, Euripedes C. Miguel, Leonardo F. Fontenelle
Summary: This study investigated the characteristics of patients with comorbid generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and found that comorbid GAD was associated with an increased number of avoidant behaviors and greater severity of anxiety.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Psychiatry
Tamar C. Katz, Thanh Hoa Bui, Jennifer Worhach, Gabrielle Bogut, Kinga K. Tomczak
Summary: Tourettic OCD (TOCD) is a unique condition with overlapping symptoms of OCD and CTD. It is characterized by complex tic-like behaviors with compulsive and anxious features. TOCD is an intermediate neuropsychiatric disorder distinct from TS or OCD alone. The treatment of TOCD is complex and often resistant to treatment, requiring a combination of pharmacology and behavioral therapy.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Mariela Rance, Zhiying Zhao, Brian Zaboski, Stephen A. Kichuk, Emma Romaker, William N. Koller, Christopher Walsh, Cheyenne Harris-Starling, Suzanne Wasylink, Thomas Adams Jr, Patricia Gruner, Christopher Pittenger, Michelle Hampson
Summary: This study aimed to use fMRI neurofeedback as a treatment for OCD. The results showed that neurofeedback targeting the aPFC can reduce symptoms in OCD, but did not significantly affect control over the aPFC. Future studies should optimize the training protocol and clarify the mechanism of action.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Psychiatry
David E. Freedman, Margaret A. Richter
Summary: Through systematic search and analysis of literature, it was found that exercise is beneficial for OCD symptoms, but the effects vary among individuals, indicating the need for further research.
GENERAL HOSPITAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Vera Nezgovorova, Casara Jean Ferretti, Stefano Pallanti, Eric Hollander
Summary: Exacerbation or new onset of OCD symptoms during COVID-19 is an understudied area. Increased proinflammatory immune response in COVID-19 patients may be associated with the onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and targeted anti-cytokine treatments can help mitigate these symptoms.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Johanna Otte, Nathalie Schicktanz, Dorothee Bentz
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the change in obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCSs) from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic within the Swiss general population, and to examine the possible relationship of OCSs to stress and anxiety. The results showed that OCSs significantly increased during the pandemic, particularly in the washing dimension. Self-reported stress and anxiety were weakly associated with the severity of OCSs. The study suggests that all individuals with OCSs should be considered as risk groups for symptom deterioration during a pandemic and when assessing its possible long-term effects.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Michael G. Wheaton, Haley E. Ward, Alana Silber, Elizabeth McIngvale, Throstur Bjorgvinsson
Summary: The majority of respondents reported that their OCD symptoms had worsened since the outbreak of COVID-19, with substantial variability in individual responses. Negative effects were more strongly linked to contamination and responsibility for harm symptoms. The self-identified OCD group also showed heightened concerns about COVID-19 compared to a community control sample. Many participants reported that the pandemic had interfered with their OCD treatment, but they were mostly satisfied with how their treatment providers had handled the crisis.
JOURNAL OF ANXIETY DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Katalin Csigo
Summary: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a difficult-to-treat disorder with diverse symptoms. This study focuses on object relations theory to understand OCD symptoms, particularly the concept of the obsessive position. The study distinguishes between the obsessive ego-state and the realistic ego-state, proposing OCD as a disorder of personality and ego organization. The application of a modified psychoanalytic methodology is advocated, with a glimpse into a psychoanalytic therapy session with an OCD patient.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Klarissa Garcia, Alyssa Mancuso, Huynh-Nhu Le
Summary: This qualitative study examines the experiences of mothers at high risk for postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder (POCD). The findings reveal that these mothers exhibit obsessions, compulsions, and other emotional experiences, demonstrating the enduring impact of POCD beyond the perinatal period.
JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE AND INFANT PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yimeng Pan, Chuanyong Xu, Tingxin He, Zhen Wei, Carol A. Seger, Qi Chen, Ziwen Peng
Summary: Background:The relationship between cognitive function and psychopathological symptoms has been an important research field. Methods:This study used network analysis to construct networks of cognitive variables and OCD-related symptoms in patients with OCD and healthy controls. Results:The study highlighted the important role of variables such as obsession and IQ from a network perspective. Conclusions: These results deepen our understanding of the multivariate relationship between cognitive dysfunction and OCD symptoms and may promote the prediction and diagnosis of OCD.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Trevor. W. Robbins
Summary: This scientific commentary discusses the research conducted by Kim et al. on the unbalanced fronto-pallidal neurocircuit underlying set shifting in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, published in the journal Brain.
Article
Psychiatry
Ana Beatriz Ravagnani Salto, Marcos L. Santoro, Marcelo Q. Hoexter, Andrea Parolin Jackowski, Pedro M. Pan, Maria Conceicao Rosario, Sintia Belangero, Pedro Gomes Alvarenga, Victoria Fogaca Doretto, Afonso Mazine Tiago Fumo, Marcelo C. Batistuzzo, Pedro Macul Ferreira de Barros, Kiara R. Timpano, Vanessa K. Ota, Luis Augusto Rohde, Euripedes Constantino Miguel, James F. Leckman, Andre Zugman
Summary: The study found a significant relationship between OCS and the symmetrized percent change (SPC) of the right thalamus volume in children, but there was no significant relationship between changes in thalamic volume SPC and OCD-PRS. These findings suggest the need for further research to confirm the results and further characterize the specific nature of OCS symptoms associated with thalamic volumes.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Omri Weiss, Elad Segev, David Eilam
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Omri Weiss, Alex Dorfman, Tamar Ram, Pazit Zadicario, David Eilam
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Zohar Hagbi, Alexandra Dorfman, Efrat Blumenfeld-Lieberthal, David Eilam
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Alex Dorfman, David Eilam
Summary: The study suggests that socio-spatial behavior can be seen as a series of excursions originating and ending in close proximity to another individual. By measuring the social distance between two individuals, different types of social excursions can be distinguished. Research on rodents shows that each group displays a prevalent excursion type reflecting distinct social dynamics.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Simona Gielman, Zohar Hagbi, Yuval Dulitzky, Efrat Blumenfeld-Lieberthal, David Eilam
BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES
(2020)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Alex Dorfman, Omri Weiss, Zohar Hagbi, Anat Levi, David Eilam
Summary: Social spatial cognition focuses on the interaction between self, place, and partners, emphasizing the impact of the social environment on spatial behavior and the convergence of individual spatial representations into collective spatial behavior. Studies suggest that humans and animals have both cognitive maps of the physical environment and social cognitive maps. Social spatial cognition relies on knowledge of the physical and social environments, with the latter predominantly influencing spatial behavior modulation through dynamic social interactions.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zohar Hagbi, David Eilam
Summary: This study compared the behavior of two rodent species living in different habitats when exploring the same three-dimensional laboratory environment. The research found that while both species exhibited similar behaviors in establishing a home-base, they showed significant differences in mobility and elevation, reflecting their distinct motor abilities and perceived worlds.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zohar Hagbi, Elad Segev, David Eilam
Summary: When traveling on an incline, animals attempt to maintain consistent bilateral vestibular cues in order to orient themselves. They travel mainly in a straight vertical direction, avoiding diagonal movement.
Article
Biology
Yehonatan Ben-Shaul, Zohar Hagbi, Alex Dorfman, Pazit Zadicario, David Eilam
Summary: In this study, we tested whether rodents prefer to descend or ascend when given the choice. We found that all tested rodent species displayed a preference to descend, possibly due to attraction to the ground and the role of gravitaxis in spatial behavior.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Zohar Hagbi, Simona Gielman, Alex Dorfman, David Eilam
Summary: This study found that rats prefer to travel on the lower level of a bi-level open-field, establishing a home-base and a local base on each level and exploring them separately. The perception of a multi-leveled environment may be influenced by the egocentric sensation of vertical movement and the availability of a large exploration area. Furthermore, the study suggests that rats integrate fragmented representations of the multi-leveled environment through home-base behavior.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Zohar Hagbi, Tomer Gilad, Pazit Zadicario, David Eilam, Inon Scharf
Summary: This study tested the spatial navigation performance of rats and ants in horizontal and vertical mazes after learning reward locations. The results showed that rats performed slower but more accurately in vertical mazes after training in horizontal mazes, while they were less accurate but faster in horizontal mazes after training in vertical mazes. The performance changes in ants were not significant.
Editorial Material
Behavioral Sciences
David Eilam
Article
Biology
Yonit Marcus, Elad Segev, Gabi Shefer, David Eilam, Galina Shenkerman, Assaf Buch, Shani Shenhar-Tsarfaty, David Zeltser, Itzhak Shapira, Shlomo Berliner, Ori Rogowski
Summary: The study examines the relationship between BMI and MS components, and how it varies with age and gender across weight categories. The results demonstrate a linear increase in MS components with BMI, with hypertension being the most common component in men and increased waist circumference in women. Among non-obese subjects, there is a linear increase in blood pressure, glucose, and triglycerides, and a decline in HDL cholesterol as BMI increases. Women between the ages of 30 and 50 have a higher metabolic protection compared to men.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Chen Rabi, Pazit Zadicario, Yael Mazon, Naama Wagner, David Eilam
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2017)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Kristoffer L. Nielbo, Michal Fux, Joel Mort, Reut Zamir, David Eilam
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Edna C. Cieslik, Markus Ullsperger, Martin Gell, Simon B. Eickhoff, Robert Langner
Summary: Previous studies on error processing have primarily focused on the posterior medial frontal cortex, but the role of other brain regions has been underestimated. This study used activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses to explore brain activity related to committing errors and responding successfully in interference tasks. It was found that the salience network and the temporoparietal junction were commonly involved in both correct and incorrect responses, indicating their general involvement in coping with situations that require increased cognitive control. Error-specific convergence was observed in the dorsal posterior cingulate cortex, posterior thalamus, and left superior frontal gyrus, while successful responding showed stronger convergence in the dorsal attention network and lateral prefrontal regions. Underrecruitment of these regions in error trials may reflect failures in activating the appropriate stimulus-response contingencies necessary for successful response execution.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2024)